Nintendo wants to turn your Switch console into a fitness device with its newest game experience, Ring Fit Adventure. Using a flexible ring-shaped accessory and a strap made to hold Joy-Con controllers, Ring Fit Adventure is designed to get you moving while you work toward defeating an evil bodybuilding dragon. Fighting dragons while working up a sweat is an approach that’s very on-brand with Nintendo, and offers up a new way to use the accelerometer and gyroscope inside the Joy-Con controllers. Though only announced in September, you won’t have to wait too much longer to try it out, either. Here is everything you need to know ahead of Ring Fit Adventure’s launch.
What is Ring Fit Adventure?
Ring Fit Adventure is a fitness-focused role-playing game for the Nintendo Switch. It uses a combination of accessories and interactive gameplay to provide a workout to players. It comes with a special device called a “Ring-Con,” which uses an electronic sensor with a railing for attaching one Joy-Con controller.
With both the Ring-Con and the Joy-Con, Ring Fit Adventure is capable of registering motion and pressure, which can be used to do a variety of movements and abilities in the game itself.
Alongside the Ring-Con is the leg strap, which features a pouch to hold the second Joy-Con controller. It’s used to keep a Joy-Con secured to your thigh and registers motion on the lower part of your body.
It is designed for people of all skill levels, and you can choose how long your workout will be if you begin feeling stronger or more agile.
Gameplay
In the world of Ring Fit Adventure, chaos has erupted after an evil bodybuilding dragon called Dragaux threatens to ruin the world. It’s your responsibility to save the world from monsters and Dragaux himself, and you’ll do this solely with the Ring-Con and leg strap accessories.
Ring Fit Adventure features “on-rails” movement, meaning you will follow a set path, but you can move at your own pace based on how quickly you jog in place.
The Ring-Con, meanwhile, is used for other actions. Jumping can be done by flipping it down and squeezing it inward will create a blast of air. To paddle or fly, you will place the Ring-Con in front of your waist and push inwards and outwards, while a rolling section requires you to put it over your head and lean from side to side. Stair-climbing sections also require you to take larger steps up with the Ring-Con held vertically in front of you.
When enemies arrive, Ring Fit Adventure switches to a turn-based battle system. The abilities are split into four categories based on what you’re working out – arms, core, legs, and yoga. One of these attacks actually involves lying down on the floor and kicking in front of you, so you will need to have plenty of room to play the game. You need to match the right moves on the right enemies in order to deal the most damage.
Enemies will attack you back, as well, and you can guard against their attacks by using a guard move. Holding the Ring-Con parallel to the ground in front of your waist will reduce the damage done by the attack. All of your performance will be tied to how accurately you perform the physical moves you’re trying to do. In order to do them correctly, a guide will be shown on the left side of the screen in a similar manner to games like Dance Central or Just Dance.
Mini-games
Alongside the main adventure mode, Ring Fit Adventure features several extra activities you can try out. In “Quick Play” mode, you can choose to perform workouts that focus on specific muscle groups. The pectoralis major, deltoids, quadriceps, and latissimus dorsi are among the ones available to work out in the “Simple” category. A similar option called “Sets” has you do a series of exercise targeting specific parts of your body.
There are also mini-games you can play in Ring Fit Adventure that have you shoot for a high score in a variety of games that also work out different parts of your body. These games will have you run as fast as possible, climb on a wall, punch crates, or even sculpt pottery. Because it’s easy to switch between players in this mode, Nintendo designed it so friends can compete against each other in the same room. Should you be alone while others are sleeping in your house, you can turn on a “silent mode” that eliminates the need for heavy impacts.
Once an exercise is completed, you’ll get a detailed statistical breakdown that shows you how long you were working out, as well as the distance ran and calories burnt. There is also a heart rate sensor built into the Ring-Con, and based on your reading, the software can determine your exercise level for a particular activity. It also gives you information about what type of goal needs a particular workout, such as stamina goals working best with moderate exercise.
What’s included?
Ring Fit Adventure comes with a copy of the game, a Ring-Con, and a leg strap. Owners of the regular Switch should have everything they need to jump right into Ring Fit Adventure, while those with a Nintendo Switch Lite will need to purchase Joy-Con controllers to use it.
Release date
Ring Fit Adventure will release for Nintendo Switch on October 18 for $80. Pre-orders are unavailable at the moment, but on the official website it confirms pre-orders are coming soon.
